A Richmond teacher was one of 23 B.C. educators who chalked up a national Certificate of Teaching Excellence in Ottawa last week.
Christine Marin, who teaches French immersion, math, science, technology and fine arts for Grades 4 and 5 at Alfred B. Dixon elementary, received the award for her innovation and consistently outstanding performance.
Shes not only a phenomenal classroom teacher, but shes also our teacher-librarian, said Darryl Unger, the principal at Dixon.
The Prime Ministers award was given to 14 teachers and nine early-childhood educators from B.C. A total of 59 teachers from across Canada were honored with the award.
Unger nominated Marin for the award, citing her ability to grab her students attention and make learning fun, as well as her willingness to mentor new teachers.
She consistently looks for new and better technology for our school, Unger said. And I dont ask her to.
Marin regularly outfits her highly interactive classes with laptops, smart boards, and document cameras, explained Unger, adding that it might be Marins passion for teaching that allows her to be so dedicated to her profession.
I am in awe of all of the teachers who are here in Ottawa with me, Marin wrote on her blog, which details her trip to Ottawa. We are all saying the same thing: Teaching is the most important profession in the world.
Marin has toured Rideau Hall, posed for a picture with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and attended a reception at 24 Sussex Drive, according to her blog.
We were able to talk education with people who have the possibility of making changes and improvements, Marin wrote.
Besides meeting the Prime Ministers wife, Laureen Harper, as well as her cat, Marin also met Peter Stoffer, a graduate of Dixon elementary and an MP from Nova Scotia.
Despite 35 years of experience, Marin is always keen to be a better teacher.
Each summer, Marin plans and attends a week-long seminar for B.C. French immersion teachers.
The workshops encourage teachers to share ideas, offer advice and refine teaching strategies.
For her own class, Marin frequently brings in teachers from France to assist her French immersion students.
Never content to let her curriculum stand still, Marin is a regular at the Richmond School Board where she has purposed several educational plans, hoping to find an integrated approach to teaching that also embraces technology
Described by Unger as a global thinker, Marin taught her students to blog about the Dixon School sustainability project as a means of beginning an online conversation with students in Strasbourg, France.
After nearly 12 years at Dixon, Marin is now preparing to teach gym class.
She certainly doesnt act her age, Unger said. Each and every year she wants to try something new.
